The first time fear took over my motor functions was when I was a child. The observation tower at Magic Mountain was very tall, on a very tall mountain (from a child’s perspective). The top floor was a lounge, enclosed and comfortable. The lower deck was open-air and metal. The spacing between the metal plates was wide enough to see the distance between the tower and the ground. I panicked and froze on the last step. I grabbed the staircase rail and wouldn’t move. The wind blew, jostling several of the other people on the deck. It was horrifying. I didn’t enjoy the view.
Fear is “…an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat… (Oxford Dictionary, https://languages.oup.com/)”. Fear is a cruel master. It can cause you to flee or react without planning. Fear is a warning device. Do not let it control your actions and reactions. Accept the emotion of fear. Know that fear is there for a reason and acknowledge it. Do not let it dictate irrational actions instead of reasonable steps.
“There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear.”
~ George S. Patton
During a fight, you may or will not remember this article. The very presence of danger, intimidation, and getting hurt is the only thing on your mind. The fear factor is telling you this is a real fight, not a friendly sparring match. If your opponent did the correct actions before that instant, he has made you feel inadequate and uneasy with his boldness and aggressive personality. He is the bully.
But that still doesn’t help you deal with the feelings. Here are three tips I use to help me deal with fear.
Primal Instinct
When you are walking somewhere minding your own business, and you suddenly become afraid, that is your mind telling you of trouble. Take note of that and react accordingly by scanning the surrounding area for danger. Plan for an attack and determine the best way to get out of the dangerous situation. Often when you do this, no episode will arrive. You took appropriate action to eliminate the danger.
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”
~ Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson, ch. 12 (1894)
Manage Your Breath
One way to manage your fear is breathing. I often use ten short breaths to calm my inner self. It brings clarity to the situation. The biological effects of fear are an adrenaline surge and shortness of breath. You stop breathing or hold your breath. This technique of taking ten short breaths will overcome this biological response. Training when you are exhausted will help with the adrenaline surge and its after-effects.
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.”
~ William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act II, sc. ii (1599)
Will Power
You control fear by will. You take charge of your mental facilities and actions.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
~ Frank Herbert, Dune (1965)
Practice in Stressful Situations
Another method for dealing with fear is to put yourself in safe, stressful situations to put your control-of-fear to the test. The more you practice dealing with anxiety, the more likely you’ll be able to deal with your fear when it arrives. Again, we are trying to eliminate fear rather than to keep fear from controlling our actions.
From that fearful time on the observation deck to several decades later, when I ran on an obstacle course 30 ft. in the air on a massive log structure with various types of rope ladders and bridges, I overcame the power of fear. I learned how to do what I needed and to assess the actual situation. Was I really in danger? Did I have the training to deal with the obstacle? What was the fear telling me?
Acknowledge your fear and move on to the first step. Take a deep breath and do. That is how you deal with fear.
